Shears



July 14, 1931. L, H. BOTTS 1,814,821

SHEARS Filed July 28, 1930 Zia Em": if 50/75 I fig m Patented July 14, 1931 LAURANCE H. BOTTS, OF DE LAND, FLORIDA.

} Y Y SHEARS Application filed July 28, 1930. Serial No. 471,185.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in shears and has as an object the provision of improved means for pivotally. connecting the complementary members of a pair of shears or other similar tool.

Heretofore the means for pivotally connecting the members of a pair of shears or other similar tool very often became worn 1 and necessitated discarding the tool long before the end of its useful life. It is, therefore, a more specific object of this invention to provide an improved means for pivotally connecting the members of a pair of shears 1'5 wherein those elements subject to wear are readily replaceable.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of spring means incorporated within the pivotal connection of the shear members for simultaneously yieldably maintaining the shears open and providing means for locking thetnut member of the pivotal connection against accidental rotation.

It isalso an object of this invention to 2 provide a construction for shears and similar tools wherein the complementary members are readily reversible to enable both sides of the blades to be used, thus greatly increasing the useful'life of the tool.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of V H parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of'the principles thereof, and in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of shears embodying my invention and particularly adapted for use as fruit clippers;

Figure 2 is -.v an enlarged, cross sectional view taken through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 2; and

Figure 3 is a perspective detail view of the various elements comprising the pivotal connection of the shears shown separated and disposed in their proper order of assembly.

Referring now more'particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numerals 5 and 6 represent two complementary members of a pair of shears, each having a cutting blade 7 and a handle portion 8. In the present instance the cutting blades 7 are slightly curved laterally and are sharpened either at both sides or only at their meeting edges. The handle portions 8 of the shear members are preferably cut out, as at 9, to reduce the weight of the structure and have enlarged cylindrical portions 10. I

The members 5 and 6 are pivotally connected by means of a structure best illustrated in figures 2 and 3, comprising a screw 11 having an enlarged circular head 12 and a shank divided into a cylindrical stem 13 adjacent the head, a squared portion 1 1 outwardly of the cylindrical stem, and an externally threaded outer end 15. The screw eX- tends through and is freely rotatable in a counterbored aperture 16 formed in a bearing member 17 which is received in an opening 18 formed in the member 5.

The thickness of the bearing 17 is substantially equal to that of the member 5 and the juncture of the cylindrical stem 13 and squared portion 14 of the screw is substan tially in alignment with the inner end of the bearing 17 so that the squared screw portion extends into a correspondingly shaped opening 19 formed in the member 6.

It is noted that the squared portion of the screw is of less length than the thickness of the member 6, and terminates adjacent the bottom of a counterbore 20 formed in the outer face of the member 6, in which the flange 21 of a nut 22 is received, the nut 22 being threaded on the outer threaded end 15 of the screw to secure the elements assembled.

The opening 18 in which the bearing member 17 is positioned, is substantially larger than the major portion of the bearing to provide an annular channel closed at its sides by the inner face of the member 6 and a flange 23 formed on the bearing and received in a counterbore 2 communicating with the bore 18. Received in the annular channel are the coils of a spring 25 which serves the dual function of yieldably maintaining the members 5 ing the nut 22 against accidental rotation.

For this purpose one end 26 of the spring is directed radially and laterally to extend beyond the outer periphery of'the spring nd be. recei ed n o e of wo. recesse 2 and 27 formed in the member 5. in commut .icetion with its he e 1.8, the utermost port on of the spring end 26 be g eceived n notch 28 fo med in the pe iphery of he ea ing fl nge 23 o t at t e spring end 26 not only secures itself against relative station with respect to the m mb 5, b so ook the be ri g member aga nst rotaion with re p to s id ember 5.

The pposi end. 29 of th pri g is e ended. outwardly from the annular a ber in which its coils are disposed, through lot 30 fo med in the m mber 6 in c mmu a ion with its square opening 19, o 1-- ts outermost po tion Wi h th serra ed Per phe a edge 31 or the nut member flange ilhe n 29 f the spring is thus securey onne t d with the m er nd s v e dbly ma nt ned in engag ment with he serrated edge of the nut member flange to, pre nt accidental o ation of the nut mem er; nasmuch as th cre i eld agains otation with respect to the member 6b its squa e porti n. being received n he c r spondingly sq are pe ing, it is appa ent ha relati e rotation betwe he ne an t e screw is restrained The lo t n of the re ess s. 7 and 27 and h relat e po itions o he spring e d 26 nd 2 s uch tha hen the pring is re.- ased it maintains the members o and 6. open, as illustrated in Figure l, and to prevent excessive opening movement, stub pins 2 a e carried by hecir u a portion 10 o he member 6, one of which engage he nner p iph ry of the circular portion to med n the me ber will b re dily appar n -i The eth r stub p n unctions in he same mann when the comple entary memb rs are r ve sed. V T e provi ion of the two recesses 7 and 2 enables e shea mem ers o be re.- rs d, hu permitting oth dg s of i s blades to be used, for when the spring end 26 i engaged n the recess 27 he c osing acti n o the she r tends to wind p the pri g and. when it is eng ged. in. the oth e 2 h l sing a ion of he shears tends to unwind the spring. In each inand. 6 open and lockstance, however, the shears are yieldably' maintained open. Obviously, both edges of the blades 7 of both shear members may be sharpened at the time of manufacture, or the second set of edges may be left unground until the first set becomes worn.

F om the foregoin des ription, taken i connection with "the accompanying draW- ing it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which an invention f the character. described appertains, that I provide a construction for shears and similar tools wherein all wear on the pivotal connection is between two readily replaceable members, and wherein a single simple pring provides means or yieldably maintaining the complementary nd for locking the nut member of the pivtal o ne o ag inst a idental rotation.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a tool of the character described having complementary members pivotally o e ted. or relative movement about their pivotal connection, a single yieldable means tor normally maintaining the members in predetermined relative positions of movement about said pivotal connection and for preventing accidental separation of said members,

In a tool of the chara ter d scr bed. including pivotally connected members, means for pivotally connecting the said members. n ud ng a nut m m er, a single. yieldable means for normally maintaining s id. members in predetermined relative positio'ns of movem n about said p votal conne tion and for restraining rotation o e nut member to prevent accidental separa ion of said members 8-. In a tool of the character described 111 luding a pair of pivotally connected mem bers having aligned openings, means for pi otally connecting said m mbers comprisg a eari g eceived in the pening of one memberfa screw freely rotatable in he b aring and non-rotata ly received in the pening in. the. other memb a nut hr aded'on said screw, and a single yielda le for normally yi ldably holding he mem ers in pred termined relative. p s tions of movement about the pivotal con c on and for preventing accidental de tachment of the nut member from said screw. 4C. In a tool of the character described lncluding two pivotally connected members having aligned openings, means for pivotally connecting said members comprising a bearing readily removably mounted in the opening in one of said members, a screw having a part freely rotatably received in sa d bearing and a 'partnon-rotatably reei ed n. the opening in said other mem a nut threaded onthe screw, and single means for holdin thebearing aga nst rotarnembers open 'tion with respect to the member in which it is mounted and for holding the nut member against rotation with respect to the other member and the screw.

5. In a tool of the character described including complementary pivotally connected members having aligned openings, means for pivotally connecting said members comprising a bearing mounted in the opening in one of said members, said bearing cooperating with said opening to form an annular channel, a screw freely rotatable in said bearing and non-rotatably received the opening of the other member, a nut on the screw, and a spiralspring having its convolutions disposed in said annular channel and simultaneously normally maintaining the complementary members in predetermined relative positions and holding the bearing member against rotation in its opening and the nut member against rotation with respect to the screw.

6. In a tool of the character described, including a pair of pivotally connected members, means for pivotally connecting said members comprising, a bearing carried by one member, and a screw freely rotatable in the bearing and received in said other member, and yieldable means for normally yieldably holding the members in predetermined relative positions and for preventzing rotation of the bearing in said first mentioned member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

LAURANCE H. BOTTS. 

